


Toph does not start a bar fight

by withyr_wyther



Series: Toph starts a bar fight [2]
Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Badass Toph Beifong, Episode: s03e17 The Ember Island Players, Ice Cream, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Toph Beifong and Zuko are Siblings, Zuko is an Awkward Turtleduck
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-13
Updated: 2020-08-13
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:53:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,806
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25880878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withyr_wyther/pseuds/withyr_wyther
Summary: Toph and Zuko go out for ice-cream after the Ember Island Players.
Relationships: Toph Beifong & Zuko
Series: Toph starts a bar fight [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1825039
Comments: 5
Kudos: 151





	Toph does not start a bar fight

**Author's Note:**

> The referenced child abuse is very minor, barely even in the story.

He trailed behind the rest of the group, as Katara and Suki took charge leading them back up to the Fire Lord’s house. 

This really was not how Zuko had imagined his day going. First, there was that whole deal with the Ember Island Players and their absolutely  _ horrible _ adaptation of everything that had happened to him and Aang since that day in the South Pole. Which, while being enough of a disgrace to the noble art of theatre that Zuko was personally offended by it, the rest of the crowd had found plenty entertaining.

Then, as if his terrible characterization hadn’t been enough, the Ember Island Players somehow got it into their empty, good-for-nothing heads that it was a legitimately  _ good _ idea to recount the events of how he got his scar _.  _ Zuko absentmindedly raised one hand up so that the tips of his fingers grazed his cheek just under the ridge of his scar. As if it wasn’t enough that he had to live with the results of that spirits-damned Agni Kai every day since it had happened, the weight of it hanging over his head sometimes so heavy it was like someone had attached lead weights to his ankles. There was a reason he never talked about it. A shiver raced down his spine as he felt the very edge of his scar, a dull pressure the only hint of sensation in the warped flesh. 

_ But your scar’s on the wrong side.  _

Zuko dropped his hand. That kid had no idea what he was talking about.

Ahead of him, in the patchy light from the lanterns hung intermittently overhead to illuminate the street, Katara was chatting loudly with Sokka. They were such good friends, and yeah, they were his friends now too, but the way they acted, like a family, was still a bit jarring sometimes. It didn’t matter that even Katara trusted him now, it still caught him by surprise sometimes when one of them joked with him, or was nice, or did pretty much any standard friend thing. Zuko spent a lot of time surprised.

He was getting used to it but it still made him sad. Was this what he and Azula would have been like if they were a normal family, if their Mom hadn’t left, if the Fire Lord was a normal Dad and not an egotistical maniac?

Zuko stopped, staring at the ground in front of him trying to imagine it. He couldn’t do it. It was almost enough to make him laugh. 

Sokka and Katara’s voices began to fade slightly as the rest of the group continued walking. Toph said something to one of them, but it was too far away for Zuko to tell what it was. The thud of footsteps coming towards him made Zuko look up. Toph was jogging back his way, expertly dodging between the other people on the street as she went. 

“Hey,” she said, coming to a stop at his side, “I told the others that we would catch up later.”

Zuko frowned. “Why-”

“Because you seem like you can use a little cheering up right now.” 

“I don’t-”

“Remember, I can feel your heartbeat. Lying doesn’t work on me.” 

Toph looked at him expectantly. It was a little intimidating even though he knew that she couldn’t see his face. “Yeah,” he admitted finally, “Just a bit lost in my own head, I guess.” 

She nodded like he had just confirmed her suspicions about something. Zuko opened his mouth to ask her what she was thinking when she spoke again.  “Tell you what, there’s a snow-ice stand a couple streets over. Do you have money?”

Zuko blinked.  _ How did she-  _

“I see with my feet dummy, the stand is on the ground.” 

_ Oh.  _ He hadn’t thought about it before, but it made sense that Toph was able to see so far. “I have a bit left from the theatre,” he said, “That should be enough.”

Toph grinned that manic grin she got whenever she was particularly excited about something. “Great!”  She grabbed his arm and started dragging him down the street with her.  “So,” she said as they walked, “If you don’t mind me asking, what were you thinking about.”  They swerved to avoid a man who had abruptly stopped in front of them. 

_ Just my childhood trauma.  _ “My family,” he said. 

“I get that.” 

Toph fell silent. It wasn’t uncomfortable as uncomfortable silence he realized. It was the kind of silence that spoke of things that didn’t need to be said to be understood. Zuko physically felt himself relax, tension bleeding out of his limbs. He hadn’t even noticed he was nervous. 

They passed the rest of the walk in that silence. Soon, Zuko noticed a small wooden stall set up along the side of a wide street lined with shops. All the windows were dark and the shops were closed, but the stand was anything but. 

“Huh,” he said, “Nice place.” Two small metal lanterns hung on either side of it, illuminating the cheerful colors of the hand-painted sign announcing the place as  **_Osoza’s Snow-Ice Inc_ ** _.  _ in warm coppery light. 

“Only the best for you, Sparky.” He grinned. 

They got in line. There was a smaller sign hung underneath the first listing all the flavors they had available. Zuko scanned it briefly.  _ Did that say Seal Jerky?  _ He wasn’t sure who would ever want to eat meat flavoured snow-ice, but Zuko couldn’t help but be impressed by the worldliness of the flavours available. He read some of the flavours out to Toph. 

“They have Hibiscus, Fireberry, Kiwi-banana, uhh cabbage?” That one was a bit weird. 

“Cabbage?” Toph asked. 

“Yeah,” He grimaced at the thought of cabbage snow-ice. 

“Let’s not get that one.” 

“Yeah, I’m thinking I’ll get Fireberry.”

“I think I’ll get that too.”

They fell into agreeable silence again. It was nice that Zuko didn’t always need to say what he was thinking for Toph to understand him. Again, he wondered if this is what he and Azula would be like if their father hadn’t pitted them against each other. He was so lost in thought it was only the reedy voice of the man behind the counter asking them what they wanted to order that pulled him out of his mind. They had reached the front of the line. 

“Hi, welcome to Osoza’s Snow-Ice, what can I get for you?” he asked again. 

Toph sucked in a breath at the name Osoza. 

The man behind the cashier appeared to be a few years younger than his Uncle and his reedy voice  _ was _ oddly familiar, but Zuko couldn’t quite place where he might have heard it before. Maybe this man had worked the snow-ice stand for a very long time and Zuko had come here with his Mom when he was a kid? That seemed unlikely. 

“We’ll have two fireberry snow-ices,” Toph said, her words tumbling out of her mouth in a rush before Zuko could ask the man where he knew him from.

“Have you worked at this stand for a long time?” he asked the man, hurriedly before he got their ices and they had to leave. Toph tugged on his arm, shaking her head at him to stop. 

_ What was up with her? _

“No,” the man replied, “I just started recently. I used to sell cabbages, but they kept getting destroyed. Why do you ask?” 

Toph shook her head frantically, drawing her hand across her throat in a cutting motion. 

“You just seem familiar,” he said. 

The man smiled. “Well you certainly don’t know me from here. I normally work the back. Right now I’m covering for Osoza while he’s on a break. He’s the guy who runs the place.” 

Toph was basically panicking now.  _ What was wrong with her?  _ “Zuko,” she hissed, “We have to get out of here.”

“Why? It’s just snow-ice?” he shot back. 

She opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a deep booming voice. “The Big Osoza is off his break.”

A large looming man appeared next to the Ex-Cabbage Man at the counter. He was easily one of the largest people Zuko had ever seen, with shoulders that seemed almost as broad as the stand itself. He looked ridiculous. 

“Thank you Sir,” Ex-Cabbage Man squeaked, and hurried off to wherever  _ the back _ could be on a snow-ice stand with no back room. 

The large man - Osoza- took his place at the counter and leaned forwards. “Now, what can I get you?” 

“Just two small Fireberry snow-ices, then we’ll be on our way.” Toph was outwardly panicking now, hands fidgeting, her head down so she didn’t show her face. 

Something was seriously wrong here. It wasn’t like Toph to hide. “Toph,” he hissed, “What are you-” She cut him off with an elbow to the ribs. Zuko rubbed the aching spot where she had made contact. Toph was only twelve, so  _ why  _ did she hit so hard? 

“Is your friend alright there, Miss?” Ososza asked, watching the interacting go down in front of him. “We can give you some free ice for the bruise if you need it.” 

“No!” Toph yelped, deepening her voice in a way that almost made her sound like five badger-frogs in a cloak pretending to be a human, but just high enough that it only would have been believable if badger-frogs could regularly croak and hit two octaves over middle c. So whatever she was trying to hide, she almost got a with. Almost. 

Osoza leaned over the counter, wood creaking as it bore more and more of his hulking weight. “Do I know you from somewhere?” he asked, each word slow and methodical. Calculating. 

“With, uh, all due respect, Sir,” Zuko said, grasping for anything that might make them seem less suspicious, “I don’t think we’ve ever seen you before in our lives.” His heart beat in his throat, a panicky rhythm that only for worse as Osoza leaned in closer. 

“Sir,” Osoza said softly, “I like the sound of that. Might like it more though, if I didn’t think your little friend was a  _ liar  _ and a  _ cheat.”  _

Shit. Whatever Toph was hiding, this guy was onto her. “I think you must have mistaken her for, uh, a different girl,” he said, words tumbling out in a frantic rush, “Sir.” 

“That’s the thing, I don’t think I do.” The low menace in his tone sent shivers down Zuko’s spine. 

Toph coughed. “Anyway,” she drawled, still putting on that ridiculous voice, “Two fireberries please.” 

“No,” Osoza siad, “Because you’re hiding something and you’re gonna tell me what it is.” 

Zuko scoffed. “And why would we tell you?” 

Osoza smirked. “So you admit you’re hiding something.” A rock hit the bottom of his stomach at terminal velocity. Fuck. 

Toph gave a nervous laugh. “You know, I think we’re just going to go, forget the fireberry.” 

“The fireberry,” Osoza mused, each syllable turning carefully, “The spicy… what’s the difference little blind girl?”

The spicy? Okay, so Toph definitely knew this guy. Which meant they had to get out here. Fast. 

“You know, she’s right. We’re just going to leave now.” Zuko said. 

Osoza slammed a meaty fist down on the counter so hard that small fractures formed along the wood. Zuko flinched, throwing an arm in front of Toph. 

“Okay,” he swallowed, “New plan.  _ Run. _ ” 

“Yeah, I like that idea,” Toph said. 

She grabbed his arm, jerking violently to the left down an alley that he hadn’t seen. Their feet barely touched the ground as they ran, going so fast they could have been dandelion fluff drifting in the wind. Zuko ducked under a clothes line that was strung low out of a window across the alley, every cell in his brain intently focused on getting away from Osoza who he could hear thundering after them. 

“Hurry,” he breathed to Toph. She slowed briefly. 

“What. Do you  _ think  _ I am doing?” she said. 

Right. “Sorry.” 

Zuko ran even faster than before. Toph pulled him around a corner into another alley branching off the first. This one was narrower and shorter too. It was a dead end. A smart choice if they were planning to fight Osoza- the close walls would limit his maneuverability as such a large man- but what they wanted was to shake him, not start a fight that would draw the attention of the Ember Island Police. 

“Toph,” Zuko began, “Are you sure this is a good idea?”

She gave a curt nod. “Trust me, Sparky.” 

He did, but that didn’t make him feel any better about the situation. Osoza’s thundering rampage drew closer by the second. Zuko shifted into a defensive stance, bending his knees fists clenched in front of him. 

Osoza flung himself around the corner.  _ Anytime now.  _ He grit his teeth, preparing to fight the man at least the size of his father. Maybe if he imagined him with Ozai’s face it would be easier to knock him out. 

And then Toph moved. 

She lowered into a wide earthbending stance and stomped the ground once, throwing up a small block of stone right under Osoza’s feet. It was just enough to make him stumble. Just enough to give them an extra second.  _ Subtle, _ he thought,  _ nice.  _

Between that and their next breath, Toph flicked her fingers making the ground roll under their feet like a stormy sea. The wave knocked Osoza to the ground, continuing on. A moment of sudden clarity hit Zuko like a gong. So  _ that  _ was Toph’s plan. 

He braced himself as the wave hit them hard. Earth rolled under his feet, curling like a whip, before snapping up with the force of a tsunami catapulting him and Toph into the air away from Osoza and the alley. 

For a second, hanging in the sky, Zuko could almost forget who he was. Then reality snapped back into place and they were falling. He twisted, grabbing Toph and pulling her against his chest. The roofs of the houses below them grew closer at a terrifyingly rapid pace. They were going to hit the one right at the end of the alley. 

Zuko twisted again as they hit the roof, rolling so that he and Toph avoided injury as the impact rattled through their bones like a battering ram. All of the breath was knocked out of his chest. Dimly, he was aware that he was definitely going to be sore tomorrow as Zuko pushed himself to his feet. 

“Toph, you okay?” he asked. She groaned, pushing herself up next to him. 

“I’m fine,” she said, grabbing onto his arm. “Just can’t see.” 

Right. They weren’t on the ground. Zuko knelt down next to her, ignoring the sounds of Osoza having a similar recovery in the alley below them. “Get on my back,” he said, “I’ll carry you.” 

Toph didn’t hesitate before clambering onto his back, wrapping her arms around his shoulders. He stood up slowly so he didn’t startle her, shifting her weight under his arms. 

“Okay,” he whispered, “Let’s go.” 

Zuko took off across the rooftops, leaping between the buildings so swiftly it almost felt like they were falling again, slowing only occasionally to make sure Toph didn’t fall off. Slowly, but probably a lot quicker than he realized, they left Osoza behind. The jumps and falls as Zuko brought them over the top of the town grew more relaxed as they went, the buildings slowly becoming farther and farther apart until they reached the edge of town. 

The final row of buildings was a set of houses, built directly onto the beach. Zuko lept gracefully from the roof, landing lightly in the sand. 

“I think that should be far enough, we’re just outside of town now,” he said, kneeling to let Toph off. She climbed down, a bit shaky but otherwise fine. 

“Holy  _ shit _ , Sparky,” she exclaimed, “Are you sure you’re not a ninja?” 

A ninja? “No,” he said, “But I do have some practice running on top of buildings.” 

“No kidding,” she muttered, flexing her toes in the sand. “It’s nice to see again.”

Zuko turned his attention to the beach. There was no moon tonight, but the light from the stars lit up the sand and water with a silver glow. The gentle crash of the waves on shore almost sounded like a lullaby. It was peaceful. 

“Hey can we agree on something?” Toph asked softly. 

“Yeah.” His voice cracked. 

“To  _ never _ let any of the others find out about this.” 

Zuko grinned. “Yeah, I think we can do that.” 

Toph grinned back as they started the long walk back to the vacation house. 

“You know,” she said after a minute, “I think we make a pretty good team.” 

And she was right. “Yeah,” he said, “I think we do.” 

**Author's Note:**

> snow-ice is basically what I think the Avatar World equivalent of Shave Ice would be.


End file.
